Derek McGrath features in Season Three, Episode Eight of the ‘GAA Minor Moments’ podcast
Electric Ireland, proud sponsor of the Electric Ireland Camogie Minor Championships and the Electric Ireland GAA Minor Championships, has today released Season Three, Episode Eight of the ‘GAA Minor Moments’ podcast, featuring former Waterford hurling manager and former minor player, Derek McGrath.
McGrath reflects on his minor days from the early 1990s before delving into his life on the sidelines as a manager. From a three-year underage career where he captained Waterford minors, to the U21 setup, he then went on to play for the Waterford senior hurlers in 1996. After qualifying to be a teacher in 1999, McGrath took on his first managerial role where he led De La Salle in Waterford to winning the Harty Cup that same year. Since then, Derek has managed the Laois U20’s, the Dublin U20’s, and now finds himself in Doon GAA where he makes up a crucial part of the coaching staff.
Throughout the episode Derek speaks about his role as a manager, and how that differs greatly from the role of a player. McGrath is encouraged now by the young people he coaches and their outlook on the game, which he notes is remarkably different to when he himself was a minor player. He also dives into the importance of strategy in the game. Giving a piece of advice to aspiring coaches or managers, McGrath mentions finding ideas for the game in many different things such as music, television, and even musicals.
Throughout the episode Derek speaks about mindset and the emphasis placed on mental preparation in the GAA currently. From visualisation, balancing emotion and logic, understanding what works for different players and being able to handle pressure – McGrath notes that he has dealt with it all as both a player and manager. Commenting that he was initially envious when he stepped away from managing intercounty teams, he feels as though the door is certainly still open to return to these highly professional setups.
Offering advice to upcoming minors, the Waterford native spoke about having perspective and understanding the why behind playing the game. In summary, McGrath used the word ‘balance’ as the key term for young players. He recalls climbing the steps in Pairc Ui Chaoimh after winning the minor Munster final in 1992 and acknowledges this as a moment that will last a lifetime.
Electric Ireland’s ‘GAA Minor Moments’ Podcast airs on Tuesdays throughout the Electric Ireland Camogie & GAA Minor Championships as well-known Irish stars share memories from their early sporting careers, reflecting on the defining moments from playing Minor and how it shaped them, both on and off the pitch.
So far, Season Three has seen a fantastic line up of guests such as Kilkenny Camogie legend, Ann Downey, former Tipperary player and author Eimear Ryan, former Antrim Camogie Captain Jane Adams, current Head Coach of Team USA Boxing, Billy Walsh, Dublin Legend Alan Brogan, former Kilkenny hurler Richie Hogan and former Clare hurler Tony Griffin. With plenty yet to come, Fergal will continue to be joined by a host of excellent guests as they reflect on their time spent playing Minor and shed light on some great personal stories.
Links to podcast:
- Web link: https://www.electricireland.ie/residential/helpful-links/our-sponsorships/gaa-minor-championships#podcast
- Acast link: https://shows.acast.com/gaa-minor-moments
- Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/show/0eR5edt47YzZlEuTQ7GEGF
- Apple link: https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/gaa-minor-moments/id1621714393
- Google Link: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5hY2FzdC5jb20vcHVibGljL3Nob3dzL2dhYS1taW5vci1tb21lbnRz
For more information on the Electric Ireland Camogie Minor Championships go to https://www.electricireland.ie/camogie-minor-championships.
For more information on the Electric Ireland GAA Minor Championships go to https://www.electricireland.ie/gaa-minor-championships.
You can also follow the campaign on social media @ElectricIreland and via the hashtag #ThisIsMajor.
